The bishop lifted his brow and smiled. “Of course, I always make a large pot in the mornings, anticipating drenched visitors arriving unexpectedly.”
He went about pouring me a mug full and I caught Daniel’s worried frown from the corner of my eyes. I’d told him that when I went to the doctor, I’d ask about my coffee consumption. I could live without anything except coffee, so hopefully it was negotiable.
We sat down at the kitchen table and I took a large gulp of the warm liquid before I spoke. The bishop waited patiently, but I could see the intense curiosity shining in his eyes. I set the mug down and lifted my chin. “I met Melinda King. She’s quite a woman.”
The bishop exhaled and then downed a large amount of brew from his own mug. “Is she well?” he finally asked.
“Well enough. She’s purchasing the brothel and making a go at running the business herself.” I wasn’t going to be shy about what Melinda did for a living. Blood Rock’s bishop wasn’t naïve.
His face sagged a little as if he was suddenly tired. “She was always an ambitious girl. I remember when she invested in two rank ponies as a fourteen year old. After enough spills to scare off most children, she managed to tame the pair down and make solid buggy ponies of them. She sold the team for ten times what she paid for them.”
His story sunk in. I could see Melinda out in a muddy corral, working with a couple of mean ponies. She wanted to win. That’s what kept her going and was how she’d not only survived prostitution but turned it into a successful career.
“Two of the youngest Mt. Carmel women came back with me and have been reunited with their families,” I said.
The bishop nodded. “That’s good to hear. I hope their community will embrace them with open arms. Ezra can be hardheaded at times.”
I felt my cheeks heat. “Hardheaded? He allowed teenagers under his authority to be passed off into the prostitution business to supposedly save his community. All he really cared about was keeping face.”
“Don’t be so harsh, Serenity. I will not condone Ezra’s behavior. Lord knows, I would have gone about things differently. Don’t forget, I was one of those who attempted to subvert the blood pact by bringing Melinda to Blood Rock. The threat was real. If the Mt. Carmel congregation hadn’t followed through with the Bruno family’s demands, more blood would have been spilled.”
My gaze narrowed on the bishop’s weathered face. He’d known the entire story all along. Figures. “Mt. Carmel men killed Mark Yoder. How do you feel about that?”
The bishop’s eyes flared for an instant. He gained his composure quicker than anyone else I knew. “Do you have proof?”
I slumped in the chair. Of course, Bishop Esch wouldn’t make things easy. “No, I don’t.”
“Then let it go, Sheriff. That was twenty years ago. If the truth can’t be found, then we must move on. That community has suffered enough, don’t you think?”
No, not really. The girls suffered. Mark Yoder suffered. Fannie King suffered. But the community didn’t suffer near enough in my opinion. “There’s something else,” I changed the subject. “Is there any crazy secret dealings going on in Blood Rock that I should know about?”
The question shocked the holy man if his wide-eyed reaction and raised hands were any indication. “What are you implying? I told you I don’t condone the actions of the Mt. Carmel residents.”
I pushed the mug aside and leaned over the table. “I’m warning you, Aaron. If you’re keeping any dark secrets from me, you better fess up. After discovering what went down in Nevada, I’m going to keep extra sharp eyes on Amish dealings in my jurisdiction. I thought I’d seen everything only to find out the levels of insanity, corruption, and evil are boundless in the countryside.”
“That’s a good thing, Sheriff. It’s best to be ready for anything. The world is indeed full of wicked people.”
His evasive response did not put my mind at ease.
I finished off my coffee and we said our goodbyes. I’d made my point and that’s all I could do. I had to have a little faith that Bishop Esch would come to me directly if he faced any troubles in the future. I wouldn’t hold my breath, though. Amish secrets were a part of their lives. They liked to govern themselves and that would never change, even if the outcome was disastrous.
We made a dash to the Jeep. After a discussion about what to do next with a busy day ahead, Daniel convinced me to drive up to our property. He parked right on top of the hill, the place where our house would eventually sit, and turned off the engine. We had a bird’s eye view of miles and miles of farmland, dotted with red barns, white farmhouses, and grazing cows. Rain still spattered down, but there was a break in the clouds where bright blue skies peeked through.
Daniel reached over and picked up my hand just as a brilliant full rainbow formed over the settlement. The sight of it took my breath away and for a moment, I was filled with a peaceful sensation. It was as if the storm had washed away the sadness and disgust of everything I’d witnessed over the past few years, and the rainbow signaled that splendid days were coming.
I really hoped it was true. I was ready for a change of seasons.
Serenity’s next gripping crime story, BLOOD ROCK, will hit the shelves in early summer 2021!
Thanks for reading!
While you’re waiting, you might enjoy checking out the TEMPTATION series, the WINGS OF WAR series, or WILLOW CREEK, by Karen Ann Hopkins.
You can visit Karen Ann Hopkins and see all her books at https://www.karenannhopkinsfiction.com
Karen Ann Hopkins, Serenity Series, at Amazon
Wicked Legacy (Serenity's Plain Secrets Book 10) Page 17
